Traversing cutting apparatus having magnetic follower means



United States Patent 3,088,355 TRAVERSING CUTTING APPARATUS HAVING MAGNETIC FOLLGWER MEANS Lloyd Hornbostel, J12, Beloit, Wis., assignor to Beioit Iron Works, Beloit, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Aug. 31, 1969, Ser. No. 53,118 Claims. (Cl. 83177) The present invention relates broadly to traversing apparatus, and is more particularly concerned with a novel structure controllable from a remote location for rapidly translating one body relative to another body at a constant rate for performance of inspection, cutting and related operations.

A particularly useful and important application for the present invention lies in the paper machine art, and accordingly, reference will be made herein to this particular environment. However, it will be readily apparent as the description proceeds that the invention is not limited in its utility to the illustrated and described environment.

In the production of paper on a Fourdrinier type machine, there is employed a looped traveling forming wire which presents a forming reach extending from a breast roll, at which the stock is flowed onto the wire, to a suction couch roll located approximately at the station at which the formed web is removed from the wire. As is also known, when the web is formed on the wire at the time of a start-up, or when normal machine operation resumes after a break, it is necessary to transfer the web from the wire to the first felt. This is accomplished by cutting the wet sheet or web on the wire, between the suction boxes and couch roll, by means of a high pressure jet of water, or squirt. A narrow ribbon or lead strip is first cut, and the machine tenders transfer this from the couch roll to the first press felt. The squirt, which is generally attached to a traveling hose going across the Wire, is then moved toward the back side, and the entire sheet is then cut diagonally and is carried onto the first press.

In certain prior art arrangements, the squirt nozzle or equivalent air knife have been hand manipulated, causing irregularities in the web edge. As well, the presence of a machine tender and manually operated equipment on cross-walks over the forming web and wire create a possibility of foreign objects being dropped onto the web and wire with consequent damage thereto. In addition, manually cutting the lead strip or and subsequent cutting of the entire web along a diagonal line, are timeconsuming and result in delays in restoring the web to its full production Width.

Also in the paper machine art there are employed various instrumentation devices which are traversed across the web for various purposes. Exemplary of such devices are microwave moisture measuring means, whose successful employment again requires an accurately and precisely controllable smooth operation.

It is accordingly an important aim of the present invention to provide novel apparatus controllable from a remote location for rapidly translating a device relative to a surface at a uniform rate for performance of cutting, inspection and related operations.

Another object of this invention lies in the provision of translating means embodying a supporting member spaced with respect to a surface to be acted upon, first and second concentrically arranged magnetic members mounted by the supporting member, the first magnetic member being movable along the supporting member in response to pressures applied thereagainst and the second magnetic member moving in response to movements of the first member and carrying means for performance of particular operations upon the surface, and control means remote 3,088,355 ?atented May 7, 1963 from the first magnetic member for causing movement thereof to traverse the second magnetic member and means carried thereby relative to the surface being acted upon by said means.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide traversing apparatus which includes means for supporting sheet material, track means connected to said supporting means and extending across the width of sheet material, actuator means on said track means, carriage means also on said track means, a pair of magnetic members positioned in polar attractive relation, one of said members being connected to said actuator means and the other member to said carriage means whereby said actuator and said carriage means move in unison, and means for applying a force to said actuator means to move said actuator means and cause corresponding movement of said carriage means to traverse said carriage means relative to said sheet material.

A still further object of this invention lies in the provision of traversing apparatus of the foregoing character, in which the track means supports switch means responsive to contact with the carriage means to automatically reverse the direction of the carriage means when said means completes its traversing movement in one direction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description, particularly when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the same:

FIGURE 1 is an essentially diagramamtic side elevational view of a paper machine embodying traversing apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a more or less diagrammatic end elevational view of an exemplary form of traversing apparatus as mounted upon the paper machine supporting structure;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic diagram illustrative of fluid circuitry and control means therein for effecting the traversing action; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view showing the actuator means and carriage means as mounted upon the track means.

Referring now to the drawings, and first to FIGURE 1 thereof, a paper machine is designated generally by the numeral 10 and may be seen to comprise a looped forming wire II trained over a breast roll 12, table rolls 13, suction boxes 14, a couch roll 15, a turning roll 16 and return rolls 17. Stock is deposited on the upper wire run 11a to form a web W which is removed from the wire 11 by a pickup felt 19 urged against the web W by a suction pickup roll 29.

As was earlier indicated, when the Web is formed on the Wire at the time of a start-up, or subsequent to a sheet break, it is necessary that the sheet or web be transferred to the pickup felt 19. This is accomplished by cutting the Web W on the wire 11 between the suction boxes 14 and the couch roll 15 by means of a high pressure jet of water or through the use of an air knife. A narrow ribbon or lead strip or tail is first cut, and threaded through part or all of the succeeding sectional units of the paper machine. The squirt, which in the past was attached to a traveling hose going across the wire and hand manipulated by a machine tender, is then moved toward the back side, so that the entire web is then cut diagonally toward the back side and carried into the press.

In accordance with the novel concepts of this invention, the earlier noted disadvantages of slowness, erratic squirt movements and foreign objects being dropped on the web, and forming wire are herein avoided by traversing apparatus designated generally in the drawings, by the legend A. The instant apparatus A comprises track means 25, which may take the form of a tubular member constructed of brass, copper, glass or other suitable ma;- terial through which a magnetic field may pass. The track means extends, entirely across the width of the web W and is supported at opposite ends by mounting means 26;, which may be provided by a pair of uprights erected from support means 27 forming a part of the paper machine bed structure. As well, and as appears in'FIGURE 2, the support means 27 may provide the mounting for the suction boxes 14, and for this purpose bracket members 28 are shown in this view.

The traversing apparatus A further comprises actuator means 30 (FIGURE 4), which, in the illustrative structure shown takes the form of a pair of permanent magnets31 and 32 spaced by a core member 33, each magnet mounting at one end a diaphragm seal 34, secured to the magnetic means by attaching means providing a unitary piston structure. The magnets 31 and 32 can be provided by any of the well known permanent magnets, and ferromagnetic materials have been found suitable. Of course, the magnets 31 and 32, core member 33 and diaphragm members 34 are sized to essentially the inner diameter of the track means 25 to be slidable therealong in the manner to be shortly described.

-Movable along the track means 25 in response to move; ments of the actuator means 30 is carriage means 40. The carriage means comprises an annular carriage portion 41'having annular grooves 42 and 43 at its opposite ends housing rotatable means 44. The rotatable means 44.niay be provided by a plurality of-ball elements, circumferentially spaced wheels, or any other suitable means whereby the carriage portion 41 may slide freely along the track means. 25'.

The carriage means is further comprised of. an annular magnetic member 45 housed by the carriage portion 41' and attached: thereto in. any suitable manner. The composition of the ring magnet 45 may be the same as the magnet members 31: and32; and it is believed: nowv quite clear that a magnetic field is provided between the magnets 31,32' and magnet 45 which passes through the non-magnetic track means 25 so that the carriage means 40 moves in unison with the actuator means 30 in response to movements of the latter.

The carriage portion, 41 of the carriage means 49 supports -a nozzle member 46, although it is within the contemplation of this invention that an air knife can be supported in the same manner as the nozzle member '46, and as well, instrumentation devices as exemplified by web moisture measuring means can be similarly carried by the carriage means. Further, the instant traversing apparatus A is not restricted in its applications to the paper machine arts, and illustratively, the carriage means 4% can support ascribing knife or point to cut or mark a moving sheet of glass, metal, plastics or the like. Various other environments 'for the instant invention will readily occur to those versed in the art.

However, in the application illustrated, the nozzle member or squirt 46 has water or other suitable fluid supplied thereto by hose or conduit means 47 wound upon drum means 48, the return force for which is provided by weight means 59 suspended from cable means 49 connected to the drum 48. Of course, the return means for the hose 4 7' could be spring means, and as is diagrammatically indicated in FIGURE 3, fluid is supplied to the hose 47 by pump means 51.

The nozzle member 46 further has attached thereto rope or cab-le'means 52' trained over pulley means 53 and supporting at its opposite end weight means 54. The weight means 54 of course functions to facilitate the traversing action of the carriagemeans 40, and for this purpose springmeans can be employed in substitution therefor.

The principal force for imparting traversing motion to the carriage means 4% isfluid, either pneumatic or hydraulic. Water is a convenient source, and as appears in FIGURES 2 and 3, opposite ends of the track means 25 receive conduit means 60 and 61. The supply conduits 60 and 61 terminate at their opposite ends in pump means 62 operated by drive means 63, which may take the form of a motor controlled by switch means 64. The switch means 64 is of the reversing type, and as is shown in FIG- URE 4, through suitable electrical connections 65 the switch means 64- is connected to a button switch 66 supported by bracket means 67 Welded or otherwise secured to the track means 25. The switch 66 provides a stop at opposite ends of the track means 25, and-as well through its electrical connection to the motor 63 reverses the fluid flow by the pump means 62-to cause traversing of the carriage means 40; inan opposite direction. As further appears in FIGURE 3, conduit means 7 0 connects the .con duit means oti and 61 in advance of their connections to the pump means 62, and in the conduit 70is valve means 71. The valve means 71 is adjustable and connects to a fluid source, and by regulating the volume or pressure of fluid supplied to the pump means 62, the traversing speed of the carriage means 49 is controlled.

It is now believed apparent thatwhen a machine tender desires to cut va tail or lead strip. along one side of. the moving web W carried. upon the forming wire .11, or to perform any other operation upon a movingor stationary sheet, whether it be paper, metal, glass or the like, the motor 63-is energized to drive the pump means 6-21, supplying fluid througheither of the conduits 60 or 61 toone end of the tubular track membenZS. Fluid pressures applied against either of the generally cup-shaped diaphragm seal members34 causes movement of the piston or. actuator means 3! andby provision of a magnetic fieldthrough the track means 25 from the magnets, 31-32 and 45, movement of the piston member 311 causes corresponding sliding traversing motion of the carriage 40. Of course, if a lead strip is being cut on the paper web W, the traversing head this held stationaryat alocationabove and slightly inwardly of one sheet edge a sufiicient length of time to provide a lead strip or tail of the desired length. Thereafter, however, .a fluid force is applied to one side of the piston member 30.to move the carriage means, 40 andattachedfluid discharge nozzle 46 at .a constant speedacross the moving web to diagonally cut the webentirely there across. When the carriage means 40'reaches the end of its traversing path, the carriage portion 41 contacts the button switch 66. on the track means 25, reversing the motor means 631and causing the pump means 62 to force fluid through the other conduit 60 or 61, to return the carriage means 40 to its original starting, position. Naturally, during the cutting operation fluid is continuously supplied bythe pump 51*to the nozzle conduit 47, and such .fluid flow is terminated. during the return movement of the traversing head' ltl;

By provision of the ar-rangement described, wherein'a precisely controllable fluid force is appliedto the piston or actuating means. 30, aum'form-traversing speedis obtained and there is essentially no likelihood that the sheet edge will be ragged oruneven, as has been the case with manual squirt operation. The traversing head v49 can be moved-at any desiredspeed by control of the-valve means 71, and since thecarriagemeans 4t). and. nozzle member 46 connected thereto are remotely controlled, there. is no need for a machine tender to be on. the machine bridge, thereby eliminating the possibilityoftoreign objects droppingonto the web and-wire to cause damage thereto. As well, it is immediately apparent whenviewing FIGURE 4 that the traversing assembly is constructed of a minimum number of relatively simple partsproviding a unitary structure which is extremely durable and free of parts likely to bedislodged therefrom.

It has been noted herein that the. instant apparatus has divers applications in arts other than paper machines,

and it has also been noted that particular structural changes can be made in the invention disclosed. These changes and various other modifications can of course be eifected without departing from the novel concepts or the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

-1. In a web processing machine, the combination comprising, means for guiding a travelling web moving along a path, an imperfor-ate tube extending transversely of said path, a piston slidable within the tube and having an annular portion in fluid sealing relationship with the inner surface of the tube to insure movement of the piston with fluid pressure difierential thereaoross, a carriage means outside of said tube and slidable thereon, means operative on the web and supported on the carriage means for traversing a diagonal path across the moving web, a first magnetic member, a second magnetic member magnetically attracted to the first member with one of said members secured to the piston and the other of said members secured to the carriage means so that the carriage means will move along the tube with the piston, a first fluid connection at one end of the tube for providing a pressure differential across the piston, a second fluid connection at the other end of the tube, and means for selectively providing a fiow of fluid through said first or said second connection to cause the piston and carriage means to selectively move across the web in either direction at a rate which is dependent upon the flow of fluid through said connections.

2. In a web processing machine, a combination set torth in claim 1 wherein said means for providing a flow of fluid provides said flow .at a controlled rate and said diagonal path is a straight line.

3. In a web processing machine, the combination comprising, a Fourdrinier Wire for guiding a travelling web movable in a path on the wire surface, an imperforate tube extending transversely of said path, a piston slidable within the tube and having an annular portion in fluid sealing relationship with the inner surface of the tube to insure movement of the piston with fluid pressure differential thereacross, a carriage means outside of said tube and slidable thereon, means operative on the web having a member directing a jet of fluid against the web on the Fourdrinier wire for cutting the web, said operative means supported on the carriage means for traversing a path across the moving web, a first magnetic member, a second magnetic member magnetically attracted to the first member with one of said members secured to the piston and the other of said members secured to the carriage means so that the carriage means will move along the tube with the piston, a first fluid connection at one end of the tube providing a pressure difierential across the piston, a second fluid connection at the other end of the tube, and means for selectively providing a flow of fluid through said first or said second connection to cause the piston and carriage means to selectively move across said web in either direction at a rate which is dependent upon the flow of fluid through said connections.

4. In a web processing machine the combination comprising, means for guiding a travelling web moving along a path, an imperforate tube extending transversely of said path, a piston slidable within the tube and having an annular portion in fluid sealing relationship with the inner surface of the tube to insure movement of the piston with fluid pressure differential thereaoross, a carriage means outside of the tube and slidable thereon, means operative on the web supported on the carriage means for traversing a diagonal path across the moving web, a first permanent magnet, a second permanent magnet, said magnets arranged in polar attractive relation with one of said magnets secured to the piston and the other of said magnets secured to the carriage means so that the carriage means will move along the tube with the piston, a first fluid connection at one end of the tube for providing a pressure differential across the piston, a second fluid connection at the other end of the tube, and means for selectively providing a flow of fluid through said first or said second connection to cause the piston and carriage means to selectively move across said web in either direc tion at a rate which is dependent upon the flow of fluid through said connections.

5. In a Web processing machine, the combination comprising, means for guiding a travelling web moving along a path, an imperforate tube extending transversely of said path, a piston slidable Within the tube and having an annular portion in fluid sealing relationship with the inner surface of the tube to insure movement of the piston with fluid pressure differential thereacross, a carriage means outside of said tube and slidable thereon, means operative on the web supported on the carriage means for traversing a path across the moving web, a first magnetic member, a second magnetic member magnetically attracted to the first member with one of said members secured to the piston and the other of said members secured to the carriage means so that the carriage means will move along the tube with the pistion, a first fluid connection at one end of the tube for providing a pressure differential across the piston, a second fluid connection at the other end of the tube, a common source of fluid pressure, and valve means connected to both said first and second fluid connections and to said pressure source for selectively causing the piston and carriage means to move across said web in either direction at a rate which is dependent upon the flow of fluid through said connections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,555,391 Surfus Sept. 29, 1925 2,006,499 Fourness et al. July 2, 1935 2,233,572 Atkins Mar. 4, 1941 2,507,559 DAndrea May 16, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 213,449 Switzerland May 1, 1941 817,448 Great Britain July 29', 1959 

1. IN A WEB PROCESSING MACHINE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, MEANS FOR GUIDING A TRAVELLING WEB MOVING ALONG A PATH, AN IMPERFORATE TUBE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PATH, A PISTON SLIDABLE WITHIN THE TUBE AND HAVING AN ANNULAR PORTION IN FLUID SEALING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE TUBE TO BE INSURE MOVEMENT OF THE PISTON WITH FLUID PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL THEREACROSS, A CARRIAGE MEANS OUTSIDE OF SAID TUBE AND SLIDABLE THEREON, MEANS OPERATIVE ON THE WEB AND SUPPORTED ON THE CARRIAGE MEANS FOR TRAVERSING A DIAGONAL PATH ACROSS THE MOVING WEB, A FIRST MAGNETIC MEMBER, A SECOND MAGNETIC MEMBER MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTED TO THE FIRST MEMBER WITH ONE OF SAID MEMBERS SECURED TO THE PISTON AND THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS SECURED TO THE CARRIAGE MEANS SO THAT THE CARRIAGE MEANS WILL MOVE ALONG THE TUBE WITH THE PISTON, A FIRST FLUID CONNECTION AT ONE END OF THE TUBE FOR PROVIDING A PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ACROSS THE PISTON, A SECOND FLUID CONNECTION AT THE OTHER END OF THE TUBE, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY PROVIDING A FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH SAID FIRST OR SAID SECOND CONNECTION TO CAUSE THE PISTON AND CARRIAGE MEANS TO SELECTIVELY MOVE ACROSS THE PISTON AND CARRIAGE TION AT A RATE WHICH IS DEPENDENT UPON THE FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH SAID CONNECTIONS. 